Hidden Fear
by batman-defeats-all
Summary: The Light was not happy to lose one of their best pawns against the Justice League, Batman in particular. Hiring the Joker to regain the boy is the plan of action they decide on, and it puts Nightwing and Robin in the line of fire along with Red Hood! Sequel to Hidden Feelings
1. Prologue

**I do not own Young Justice.**

"Are you sure he's coming, Ra's?" Lex Luthor asked as the two villains sat in Lex Towers, waiting for their 'business' partner to show up.

"He informed me that he was thrilled to be asked for assistance, Luthor," Ra's sighed out, glancing at the clock as the time seemed to crawl on, the one they were expecting having supposed to be there nearly three hours before.

"Well, perhaps we should try contacting him again-" Lex started, standing as he spoke, only to be interrupted by the doors to the room slamming open.

"Why hello, Lexy and Ra'ssy!" The Joker nearly yelled in a sing-song voiced, sauntering into the room as he let the heavy wooden doors close behind him.

"... Hello, Joker," Lex heaved out as he sat back down, already feeling a headache coming.

"So, what's the big issue that the Light needs my expertise in?" the clown asked, pulling a nearby chair over to sit next to the other two men.

"Ra's accidentally lost a rather important pawn in the next move against the Justice League, and our sources say he has shown up in Gotham, and has in fact fought you."

The Joker cocked an eyebrow in questioning.

"I fight a lot of people. Any more specifics on your little pawn?"

Ra's was already rather exasperated when he answered.

"I do believe he has taken up the name 'Red Hood'."

The clown at first seemed surprised, but his expression changed to anger almost instantly afterwards.

"You were the one who undid my masterpiece!"

Both of the other criminals looked rather angry now.

"You know he was the second Robin? Does Batman know?" Lex demanded, nearly standing in frustration.

"Yeah, Batsy was there. Why?"

"That already ruins the surprise advantage we were hoping for..." Ra's muttered.

"What exactly happened?" Lex asked, his eyes narrowed.

Joker smirked as he started to respond.

"Well, I kidnapped the newest Birdy Boy, and Hoodie showed up to save him, Batsy and the first brat in tow-"

"How did you find out who he was?" Ra's sounded determined in his question, though the words already spoken had almost broken any hope that the plan would still work.

"Well, I started threatening Hoodie, and the first Birdy got all overprotective of him. Even flat out said he would always be there to protect his 'little brother'. I wouldn't have known otherwise."

Both Ra's and Lex groaned at the discovery.

"If the boy knows someone still cares about him, than he will never be willing to assist in our plans..." the oldest man griped. Lex, however, suddenly gained a thoughtful expression.

"Wait, did he seem at all upset at Batman?"

"Not that I saw, but the kid did seem a bit tense. What was this plan anyway?"

Ra's stood and started pacing, squeezing the bridge of his nose as he answered.

"We had hoped to use any of the boy's anger for the Detective to our advantage, hopefully causing him enough emotional trauma to disconnect himself from those remaining at his side. It would weaken many of our enemies at once. Of course, this anger may not be as easy to manipulate any more... I should never have entrusted him with Talia, she can be so emotionally driven sometimes..."

Joker leaned farther back in his chair, putting his arms behind his arm as he spoke.

"Heh, even if I'm still not happy you messed with my handiwork, I'm kinda disappointed that didn't work out; it sounds sorta fun."

"It might work yet!" Lex suddenly proclaimed, a scheming smirk present on his face.

"How?" Ra's asked, exasperated.

"Well, chances are the boy is still upset at Batman; it is unlikely that it would be very difficult to make that anger grow, as well. From what Joker has said, it seems that the main reason he isn't clashing right now is Nightwing and Robin."

Ra's looked thoughtful at the suggestion, while Joker's smile grew as he quickly sat up.

"Ohhhh, I could get rid of them for you! That would be reeeallly fun!"

"No," Ra's swiftly said. "You cannot kill Robin. He is still young and impressible. It would be far more efficient if he was brought in with the Red Hood."

Lex nodded, and Joker looked even more thrilled.

"Wait, you said I couldn't kill the Baby Bird; but nothing about Big Bird? What about him?"

"Nightwing is far too old to have his mind changed. That, added with his leadership role in the Justice League's convert team, only makes it best if he is completely out of the way."

The clown started giggling loudly, only stopping to talk.

"So, what officially are you asking I do?"

"You are formally being requested by the Light to capture Red Hood and Robin, and to kill Nightwing."

The maniac rubbed his hands together.

"Ohhh, I could work with you guys more often with jobs like that!"

"So you accept?"

"Sounds like the most fun I've had in ages!"

Lex walked over to the Joker, and stuck out his right hand.

"You will shake on the deal, then?"

The clown grabbed the hand with both of his own, shaking it swiftly up and down.

"I couldn't be happier to do business with you, Lexy!"

**And there's the prologue! This one will have more to do with, you know, the actual show...**

**I hope you guys are interested in this!  
**


	2. Chapter 1

**I do not own Young Justice or any related characters.  
**

Jason woke to a sharp rap on the window to his dingy one-room apartment. Slowly pushing himself up on his rickety spring mattress, he glanced at the clock next to his bed. He growled upon seeing the time, then angrily stomped to the window where Robin was perched on the fire escape. Scowling, he pulled the window open.

"What the hell are you doing here at one in the freaking morning, kid?"

Tim looked down sadly before answering in a quiet voice.

"I-I made a dumb mistake during patrol, an-and Dick got injured... Bruce and Babs got really angry at me... When he said that maybe I shouldn't have been allowed to be Robin I... I just ran... I didn't know where else to go..."

Jason felt his anger slowly melt away as he observed the broken boy in front of him. Sighing, he gave in and took a step back.

"Well, hop in then, kid. You can stay on the couch tonight, but you are going back to Bruce in the morning. Just give him some time to cool off, he said that sort of thing to both Dick and me countless times. Once Dickie-Bird gives him a beat-down for being an ass, he'll realize he was wrong. He'll never apologize, but that's really expected. I mean, come on, he's _Bruce_."

Tim smiled lightly at Jason as he lowered himself into the apartment. As he started walking over to the couch, Jason eyed over his costume.

"You have any normal clothes on ya, or only the tights?"

"We- we had just gotten back to the cave when I ran off... I hadn't even entered the manor yet..."

"Of course," Jason responded, sighing. "You might want to take the cape off, then. Don't want to suffocate on the damn thing while you're sleeping or anything. And... maybe sleeping without the mask would be a bit more comfortable also."

Tim nodded, obviously distracted by thoughts. Jason sighed as he watched the boy sluggishly walk to the couch, tugging his cape off as he moved.

"Kid, are you alright?"

"Yeah..."

Jason narrowed his eyes.

"I somehow doubt that."

He pushed Tim into sitting on the couch, then bent down to the boy's level.

"It seems to me that you're letting Bruce's anger get to you. Don't. He's gotten this mad at even _Dick_ before. I know it hurts, but that is really just the sort of thing that happens when you try to work with that guy... So, tell me, are you okay?"

Tim was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"How 'bout you take off that mask, look me in the eye, and say it out loud."

Though he froze at first upon hearing the request, Tim soon complied, peeling the mask off,then lifting his head to face Jason.

It was then that Jason realized he had never seen Tim without a mask before that point. Yeah, he'd seen pictures in the newspaper and such, but never in real life. He'd only ever talked to the kid while on patrol; seeing the dark blue eyes gave him a completely new perspective on Tim.

Like how he could see a sense of abandonment in his eyes; not a short term thing, the kind of sadness that is there after years of being alone.

"I'm alright."

Jason was shocked out of his thoughts by Tim's voice. Sensing sincerity in his voice, Jason decided to stop bothering the kid about it.

"Good. Now, get some sleep."

Tim slipped his boots off, then lay on the couch, using his cape as a blanket. His breathing slowed to the pace that sleeps causes in minutes.

Once he was sure Tim was asleep, Jason pulled the cape off the boy, replacing it with a real blanket and leaving the cape folded beside the couch. Scowling slightly, he stalked over to the phone and swiftly dialed in a number he hadn't used in years.

"Hello?" Alfred's refined voice answered on the other side.

"Hey Alf, this is Jason. I need to talk to Bruce."

"Master Jason!" Alfred sounded both extremely shocked and rather happy to hear from the teen. "Of course, I'll get Master Bruce right away."

There was a minute of silence, then Bruce's exasperated voice sounded out.

"Jason?"

"You know, it seems when I said not to be an ass to Dick, I should have extended that to the kid also."

"... What?"

"That little incident earlier tonight?"

"... How do you know about that?"

Jason pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Tim's at my apartment, _detective_. He was beyond upset."

"... How's he now?"

"Asleep, but he seemed as good as he was going to be right before he drifted off."

"... Dick got upset also..."

Jason closed his eyes before answering.

"Of course he did, Bruce. You hurt a kid who is just trying to help, but made a mistake. Plus, you know he's extremely overprotective."

When there was no response, Jason decided to speak again.

"Look, I'll swing by to drop Tim off tomorrow morning. Until then, you should work on getting your head out of your ass."

He then hung up. Shuffling back to the window, he quickly closed and locked it. Glancing at Tim a final time to make sure he was still asleep, Jason collapsed on his own bed, determined to join the boy in that state.

~~~Line break~~~

Bruce sighed after Jason hung up on him. Putting the phone down, he walked back to the entrance of the Batcave, and quickly walked down the stairs.

"Tim is alright," he stated as he walked past the infirmary, where Dick was lying on one of the beds with Barbara sitting in a chair next to him.

"Where is he?" Dick asked eagerly, sitting up.

"He's with Jason."

While Dick seemed satisfied with this answer, Barbara still looked worried.

"From what you guys told me, he still seems a bit unstable. Are you sure we can trust him right now?"

Dick looked rather annoyed at the words.

"Babs, he's a bit unstable around criminals. Not extremely innocent kids that he risked his life saving."

Though she still seemed a bit suspicious, she pushed it off for now.

"When is Tim coming back?"

"Jason is bringing him tomorrow morning," Bruce answered from where he sat at the computer, scrolling through files.

"Jason's going to be here?" Barbara mused. "Maybe I should stay the night. I haven't seen him since he's come back. Then I can determine for myself how stable he is."

Dick rolled his eyes at her, but soon turned to Bruce.

"What ya working on?"

"Joker broke out of Arkham recently, and there has been an uptake in Light activity."

The acrobat paled at the words.

"J-Joker's loose?" he asked shakily. "Maybe Jason should stay here until he's back, you know, just in case..."

"And overprotective brother Dick strikes again!" Barbara announces, smirking.

"Shuddup, Babs..." Dick growls, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"You make it too easy, though!"

"I'm just worried, okay!"

Bruce couldn't help but smile as the two continued bickering.

**Yeah... this chapter was mostly fluff...**

**Angsty fluff...  
**

**Which is sort of an oxymoron...  
**

**It shall have something to do with the story, though!  
**


	3. Chapter 2

**Ya know, not much happens in this chapter, seeing how much longer it is than usual...**

**Whatever...  
**

**I do not own Young Justice.  
**

Jason studied the boy currently asleep on his couch. As he stood, he had some old clothing in his arms, since he had realized when he woke up that he couldn't drive _Robin_ back to Wayne Manor.

Of course, he wasn't fond of going to the manor to begin with. He hadn't returned to the building yet since he had... returned, and he was honestly trying to put it off as much as possible.

Did Dick offer it to him every night they met up on patrol and continued on together? Yes, but he always responded with a denial and hightailed it back to his apartment.

But there was no way the kid was going through the bad part of Gotham by himself. He could think of at least five nearby 'neighbors' who would jump at the chance to kidnap the youngest adopted son of Bruce Wayne, and, while he wasn't exactly perfect at it, he was a decent enough older brother to know that was not at all a good thing.

Now leaning against the wall, about ready to wake Tim up himself, he realized that he really had sort of became an older brother.

Which sort of terrified him.

He was never quite sure how Dick had managed to put up with him. Jason knew that he had never been easy to deal with. That most would just find it easier to try to ignore him. In fact, that had been what he was used to for most of his life.

But Dick... He _wanted _to be around him. Jason never really got why. Or how Dick could have that unconditional love for some kid he had only met recently.

Jason wasn't sure he was up to that.

Yeah, he cared about Tim. The kid was just too damn likable... That, added with the odd innocence he always seemed to radiate, made it pretty easy to get a bit overprotective of the boy.

Though, there was something else that made him worried about Tim. He couldn't quite place a finger on it... There was just... something that he saw in the boy's eyes last night... that seemed so...

… Broken.

Despite all this, Jason was still really scared. Scared that, somehow, he'd manage to screw this big brother thing up. That he'd yell at Tim a bit too fiercely if he got upset, that he'd not notice if the boy was upset, that... he'd accidentally hurt Tim.

He wasn't completely sure why, but he _really _did not want to hurt Tim.

Jason was distracted from his thoughts when he heard movement on his couch. Looking up suddenly, he started talking as he walked over to the makeshift bed.

"Okay, kid, I found some old clothes that should fit-" It wasn't until he was halfway through his sentence that Jason realized that Tim wasn't actually awake; just turning in his sleep.

"Yeah, I'm just about ready to wake you up now, Timbo..." He was about to do so, when Tim started mumbling.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Mom... I.. I tried..."

Jason froze, looking at the young teen oddly. What was Tim talking about?...

"Please don't get mad... I.. I really did try.."

He did not like where this was going. The negative words, along with the fact that Tim was tossing and turning with his eyes screwed shut, showed that the boy was having a nightmare.

… Jason had no idea how to deal with nightmares.

Trying to put aside the panic rising inside of himself, Jason lightly shook Tim's shoulder.

"Hey... Tim? You okay?"

Tim was still asleep... And still having that bad dream, whatever it was about...

Taking a few deep breaths, Jason tried to think logically. What was ever done for his own nightmares?

He scowled upon realizing Dick usually just dealt with it by cuddling with him for the rest of the night. Jason wasn't exactly good at cuddling. Or physical contact.

Sighing, Jason dug just a little deeper into his memory...

_Blood... There was blood everywhere, dripping through the cracks on the walls, pouring in the slightly opened door, pooling on the hard-wood floor, now stained with the crimson-liquid._

_ Jason was stuck standing on one spot of the floor, no matter how much he struggled, trying to break free..._

_ He could __see... bodies, lying in the growing lake, being covered by the blood... _

_ A few strands of Barbara's deep red hair was noticeable as it floated to the top..._

_ He could see an edge of Bruce's cape, now soaked..._

_ One of Dick's escrima sticks rose above the surface, if just barely..._

_ Jason felt like sobbing, but was too choked by the thick scent of iron to do so... It was hard to breath..._

_ And the level was rising..._

_ Then... there was a voice from the door..._

_ "Bad luck, kid. Ya flipped scarred side."_

_ The door was shut with a click._

_ Yet, somehow th__e blood now seemed to drain from pores in the walls, making the level rise even higher... It was up to his chest now, and he still couldn't move..._

_ He couldn't breath... The sea of scarlet now inches from his face, there was no way for air to reach his lungs..._

_ He was drowning..._

_ "Jason! You need to wake up!"_

_ Jason's eyes snapped open __at the alarmed voice, seeing Bruce sitting next to him on his bed, a worried expression on his face._

_ Seeing the man, however, just made Jason's rough exterior break, tears pouring down his face._

_ "B-Bruce!"_

_ The man seemed amazingly unsurprised when Jason nearly threw himself at him. _

_ "There-there was Two-Face, and you were... d-dead, and so was Dick, and Babs, and there was so much blood, and I couldn't move, a-and.."_

_ Bruce hushed him._

_ "It's alright now, Jay. Everything is fine..."_

Jason grimaced at both the hurt the memories caused him... and the fact that he wasn't sure he could even do the minimal that Bruce did.

Might as well try...

"Tim?"

He shook the boy a little more roughly then before, but there was still no response, though it was clear the dream was still very much going on.

"Tim, you need to wake up!" Still nothing.

Taking a deep breath, he shook Tim rather roughly, and spoke, his voice both worried and firm.

"Time to get up, Tim!"

He was rather relieved when Tim's eyes slowly blinked open.

"... Jason? What happened?..."

Jason, now relived (though surprised that there was no strong reaction to having been woken from a vicious nightmare), leaned against the wall casually as he answered.

"You had a nightmare when you were asleep on my couch. I woke you up. Not much more to it."

Tim blinked, confused, as he started to sit up.

"Umm... Why was I here again?"

Jason rose an eyebrow.

"Bruce was being a jerk, so you came here for the night. Remember?"

Tim paled suddenly, then stuttered out an answer.

"O-oh yeah... T-that..."

Jason decided that dealing with Tim's low self-esteem would have to be a battle for another day. Right now, the kid just had to get ready to get back to the manor.

"Here ya go, Timmy," he tossed the clothes at Tim. "Found some old clothes in my dresser, they look like they should fit you."

Tim held up the shirt he was given, observing the Bat symbol boldly on the chest. He rose a single eyebrow at his brother in questioning.

"... I thought it was hilarious to wear a Batman shirt. Bruce never thought similarly, but Dick was all for it..."

Tim swung his legs to the edge of the couch, his feet a couple inches from the floor, and dropped down the short distance, heading directly to the apartment's bathroom to get dressed.

As the door closed, Jason started ruffling through his stuff, searching for a second motorcycle helmet for Tim.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Tim slowly closed the door behind him as he entered the bathroom, locking it immediately afterwards. He ignored the grime of the bathroom; it was Jason's bathroom, and if he didn't mind it, it was not his place to pry.

Turning away from the large, dirty mirror that took up most of one wall, he struggled to pull the top half of his costume off. Once he succeeded, he did his best to ignore the scars rippling across his body.

Scars... and some still-healing wounds...

Bending down, he grabbed the tee-shirt, desperate to cover the injuries that... reminded him.

_ "My, my, Birdy. I can see why Bats wanted to protect you; you're like a little delicate flower!"_

_The clown grabbed one of Robin's no-longer-gloved hands as he continued on._

_ "Really, rather easy," the hand was snapped backwards quickly, a crack and whelp of pain showing the wrist had been broken. "to trample, to bruise, to break."_

He didn't like that his arms were still visible, but he could get a sweater once he got back to the manor...

Now, tugging off his lower costume, he quickly pulled on the pants.

While it fit perfectly at the waist, they were a good foot too long.

Well, that was brilliant.

Carrying his costume in one arm, Tim trudged out of the bathroom, doing his best to keep his arms covered or out of sight.

Jason looked up from a large pile of random items, a motorcycle helmet underneath his arm. Seeing the pants, the older teen couldn't help but start laughing.

"Sorry about that, Timmy. You're way shorter than I was around your age..."

He tossed Tim an empty clothe bag.

"Stuff the costume in that. You can keep it over your shoulder on the ride there.

Tim carefully placed the costume in the bag, his back turned towards Jason.

As soon as he turned back, however, Jason tossed the motorcycle helmet he had been holding before. Tim stumbled in catching it.

"Here's a helmet. Bruce would kill me if you didn't wear the thing."

Jason froze, his eyes narrowing, at Tim's now exposed arms.

"... They haven't healed completely yet?"

Tim looked down, nodding slowly.

"That damn clown," Jason growled out, his eyes hardened.

"Just... stop thinking about it, Jason. Please." Tim whispered, still looking down.

Jason glanced at the boy, his eyes softening nearly instantly.

"Alright, kid. Let's get you back to the manor."

Tim looked back up, a small smile.

"Let's get going, then!"

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Barbara rose an eyebrow at Dick, who was literally sitting near the window and starring outside at the entrance to Wayne Manor.

"... Are you going to just sit there until Tim and Jason show up?"

"Yes."

Barbara rolled her eyes at Dick, a small smirk on her face.

"What are you afraid will happen if you don't?"

Dick didn't even look away as he answered.

"The more logical side of me is worried that Jay'll just drop Timmy off and then drive away before I even get to see him."

_ "... _And the less logical side?"

"My overprotective big brother side is terrified that they'll get kidnapped or something and I must stay worried until they show up, safe and sound."

Barbara pulled up another chair, sitting next to Dick.

"You know, maybe you should worry a little about yourself sometimes."

Dick looked at her oddly.

"What do ya mean, Babs?"

She sighed.

"You are always worried about what will happen to you Jason and Tim, to me, to Bruce, to the team, everyone but yourself."

"... I think I have the right to be worried for the people I care about."

Barbara pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

"Yes, you do. But that doesn't mean you can ignore your own safety. We are not necessarily more important than you, Dick."

She was actually a bit worried by the serious expression that entered Dick's face, and even more so by his words.

"You are more important than myself to me, Babs. You... and everyone else."

He looked back out the window very quickly.

Just as Barbara was about to respond, telling Dick that that attitude wasn't safe, he suddenly gasped happily.

"JAYBIRD AND TIMMY ARE HOME!"

He jumped up and dashed out the door, leaving Barbara alone.

"Well," she mused to herself, deciding to drop the issue for now. "Tim to see Jason, back from the dead."

She stopped suddenly.

"Jason... is back from the dead."

She knew this... but it had never really sunk in, per say... Until now.

She dashed for the door that Dick had left partially open.


	4. Chapter 3

**Sorry this took so long. Combination of writer's block, being busy, and having trouble writing with a sprained wrist.**

**I do not own Young Justice or any related characters.**

The ride to the manor was quiet. Jason kept a firm glare on the road ahead of him, while Tim clung to him from behind, listening to the wind whistling past them.

As soon as they arrived at Wayne Manor, however, they were greeted with a loud yell that sounded awfully like Dick from just inside the doors, only to see those exact doors slam open seconds later, the older boy dashing out.

"Timmy, are you okay? How mean was Bruce? Damn it, why did I have to be unconscious?!..."

Tim pulled the helmet off of his head, then slid off of the bike, walking towards Dick.

"It's alright, Dick. I'm fine."

The acrobat gave the boy a look that screamed 'We'll talk about this later', but soon turned his attention to Jason, who was attempting to nonchalantly start his bike back up.

"Don't you dare think you're going to just drive off now, Jay."

Jason froze, but soon sighed in defeat, parking the motorcycle and stepping off.

"Yeah, kinda doubted that would work..."

Dick jumped forward, grabbing Jason's hand and dragging him towards the manor.

"Alfie has been asking about you, and he hasn't exactly taken Timmy and my word for it on you being okay, because our definitions of 'okay' do usually involve maybe bleeding all over the Batcave, so he has to see you!"

Tim softly padded behind them, keeping his arms hidden behind his back and trying not to trip on the long pants.

The boys all froze when the doors to the manor opened, and Barbara slowly walked out.

At first, she seemed hesitant, but then her eyes met Jason. They widened slightly, before she ran forward, ripping the teen from Dick's grip and hugging him fiercely.

"... Barbara... what are you doing?" Jason slowly asked, a surprised and severely weirded out expression on his face.

"Just hugging the little brother of my best friend who was freaking dead until recently!" she exclaimed in response, pulling out of the embrace.

"What is it with you people and _hugs_? I'm pretty sure there are other ways to show affection than hugs..." he muttered, still shell-shocked from the unexpected hug.

"Dick got me used to them," she admitted, her lips forming a small smile.

"Okay then, what is it with _Dick _and hugs then?"

The acrobat wrapped his arms around Jason's neck from behind.

"It is how I show people I loooove them!"

Jason rolled his eyes, shrugging the arms off of his shoulders.

"Good for you, Dickie-Bird."

Dick pouted at him, before glancing back at Tim, who was standing a few feet off, awkwardly rubbing his arm. The young man gave Jason a look, and signaled at Tim with his eyes.

Jason was confused for a moment, but understanding took over in seconds.

He swiftly walked over to Tim, who looked up from his gaze at a nearby bush.

"You want to head inside so you can get into some pants that won't make you fall on your face?" he asked casually, trying to hide the slightly nervous tone in his voice.

"Yeah," Tim responded quietly before moving as quickly as he could into the manor.

Jason just stood there, Dick soon walking up behind them.

"Well" the acrobat mused. "That wasn't the most stellar display of big bro-ness I've ever seen, but it is a start..."

Jason glared playfully at Dick.

"Not everyone can be perfect at it like you, Wingnut."

Dick smirked in response.

"I'm a perfect big brother? Why, thank you Jaybird!"

Jason froze, then groaned when he realized what he had said.

"Augh... Why are you so obnoxious?!"

The smirk shrunk, soon replaced with a heartfelt smile.

"It gets people to be themselves. When people aren't annoyed, they usually act more formal and such than they really are. If I annoy them, they start acting like themselves. And I like the real personalities."

Jason paused, thinking the claim through.

"That... actually sort of makes sense."

Dick grinned widely.

"Of course it does, Jay! I am a fountain of wisdom!"

Barbara snorted as she approached the two boys.

"Yes, Dick, and Bruce is winning an award for the most talkative person on the planet," she droned out.

"Oh, be quiet, you."

For a moment, it almost felt like old times; Dick and Babs bickering randomly, Jason doing little more than be amused and make an occasionally snarky comment. They were never in a hurry, because there was rarely something they needed to rush for... It was just... easier...

"Timmy's gonna be missing us soon, so we should head in," Dick pointed out, heading towards the door and breaking Jason's sense of nostalgia.

And reminded him that he actually had responsibilities now...

"... Right," he responded, jogging to the door with Barbara.

Tim hurried to his room as soon he entered the manor, doing his best not to run into anyone else on his way there. He was afraid Bruce would still be upset, and Alfred would probably tell Bruce that he was there...

Once reaching his door, he slipped in quietly, shutting and locking it behind him. Grabbing a pair of sweat pants that actually fit him, he quickly pulled the jeans down, tugging the pants up seconds later.

He paused for a moment, considering the Batman tee shirt that Jason had given him to wear. The older teen would probably want it back... But, then again, it didn't look like it would even fit Jason anymore...

It took him a minute to decide that Jason would not fully give the shirt that he obviously had memories connected to away to some kid who he barely knew. Jason was kind enough to let Tim stay at his apartment last night; he didn't want to push his luck at all.

Pulling a black sweat out of his closet, he pulled the tee shirt over his head, replacing it with the warm sweater; he was really rather relieved that the brisk fall air gave him an excuse to stay covered up.

He regarded himself in the mirror, trying to ignore the voice in his head that pointed out any flaws in his appearance, in how he dressed, in his posture...

_Really, Timothy! You will embarrass your father and I by slumping like that!_

Hearing Dick's loud voice down the hallway, Tim banished the voice, the memories, to the far corners of his mind, reaching for the door with the tee shirt in hand.

Talia al Ghul knew that her father was not pleased with her for freeing Jason. She had nearly destroyed one of the Light's greatest plans, and forced them to find help from the Joker to save what remained. If she had been anyone else, she would already be dead.

Knowing what her actual punishment would doubtlessly be, however, made her partially wish that it was the alternative.

Her father had been particularly tense that day; while he had usually had been a bit cold to her recently, the day had been full of contempt.

Which meant that she had little time left before the inevitable.

That was her reasoning behind slipping silently from her own room at midnight, dressed completely in black, and swiftly running towards a room only a few away form her own.

Reaching the door in seconds, she dashed inside, breathing heavily. Once the heavy wooden door was closed completely, she swiftly walked to the bed in the right corner of the room.

Looking down at the young boy currently sleeping on the mattress, blankets scattered over his small body, Talia couldn't help but smile fondly. However, remembering her mission, she bent down, shaking the shoulder of the child gently and whispering his name.

"... Mother?" the voice responded within seconds, dark blue eyes turning towards her. "What are you doing here at such an hour? Is this part of some training exercise?"

She nearly laughed at the question. Yes, that was her boy, always wanting so hard to please, always trying so hard in his training...

"No, my precious child, but I do so wish it was."

The child furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"... What do you mean, Mother?"

Glancing at the door, she quickly signaled the child to sit up. He did so instantly, allowing her to hold his small hands in her own. Talia looked directly into her son's eyes as she answered.

"... Mama has done something that she shouldn't have, my darling boy. It is unlikely your Grandfather will wish me to be the one to continue your training-"

The boy's eyes, his eyes that were so much like his father's, widened in horror.

"But- Mother, what did you do?"

Her eyes moving away from her son's face as she answered.

"I... I helped someone your father cares deeply for."

Before the child could ask another question, Talia looked him directly in the eyes, her voice fierce.

"My son, you have to find a way to your father. Unless you wish to be a pawn for your grandfather for your whole life, you must find away to him."

"But... Who is he?"

Before Talia could respond, the door to the room opened, Ra's al Ghul standing behind with a multitude of guards.

"Step away from the child, Talia," his voice was cold, uncaring.

"Father, he needs me!" she cried out, standing protectively in front of the boy.

"It is obvious that you are being too driven by emotions; as the heir of the Demon's Head, he must be strictly taught."

With a nod from Ra's, two of the guards moved forward. The child looked to his mother, confused, as she protectively wrapped her arms around him.

"No... You cannot take my son from me, Father!" she nearly screamed as tears started streaming down her face.

"I'm afraid I have no choice," he replied, ignoring the obvious pain of his daughter.

The guards reached the mother and child and, barely even glancing at her, ripped her arms away from the boy, throwing her to the side. Pulling the young child out of the bed and pushing him towards the door, he turned his head to the now-shaking woman.

"Mother!"

Hearing her son call out to her only made the tears worse.

"Damian!" she cried after him, just as the guards removed him from sight, leaving no one except her father to glare down at her.

**... That last part will have something to do with the story! I promise! That wasn't just me making it so every single one of my absolute favorite characters are in this...**

**... That's just an added bonus.**


	5. Chapter 4

**I do not own Young Justice or any related characters.**

Jason hesitantly took a step over the outskirts of Wayne Manor's main hall, entering the building. Just being there, after all the years away, hit him with extreme nostalgia immediately, his breath hitching as memories flooded in.

_"Come on, Dick!" Jason laughed, racing through the doors of the manor, his scarf trailing behind him._

_ Dick entered behind him as he dragged a large evergreen tree behind him, grunting every few moments._

_ "I would go faster if you would help me with this, you little twerp," he responded playfully, smirking fondly at his brother._

_ "We got the tree, Alfred!" Jason called out loudly, ignoring Dick's quip._

_Alfred hurried into the hall almost as soon as Jason stopped speaking, and swiftly walked over to Dick, inspecting the tree critically._

_ "Thank you, Master Jason. I would say you and Master Richard choose a tree that should be about the right size for the ballroom. I shall go get the men Master Bruce hired for decoration of the event,"_

_ As Alfred left the room, his shoes clicking on the polished marble floor, Dick sauntered over to Jason, ruffling the younger teen's hair as he __reached him._

_ "Ready for the Christmas ball, Jay?"_

_ Jason groaned, leaning on the back of shoes._

_ "Ugh, don't remind me of that. Why is Bruce making me go?"_

_ Dick rolled his eyes, still smiling._

_ "If it makes you feel better, I'll be there also,"_

_ Jason glanced up at him warily._

_ "Is Barbara going to be there?"_

_ Dick burrowed his eyebrows._

_ "... Yeah. Why?"_

_ Jason groaned yet again._

_ "Then you'll ignore me in favor of flirting with her the whole time!"_

_ Dick stared at him in shock, his mouth hanging open._

_ "No.. No I wouldn't-"_

_ "Don't even try to deny it, Dickie-bird. You are obviously desperately in love with her,"_

_ "Wha-what, no I'm not-"_

_ "I don't believe you," Jason interrupted in a sing-song voice as he headed up the staircase to his room._

Jason shook his head, a ghost of a smile on his lips, as he banished the memories from his mind. He may have been back, but that didn't mean things could go back to being as simple as they used to be.

No, everything was much, much more complicated now. One such complications being the fourteen-year-old who he was supposed to go speak to, according to Dick.

He would doubt the acrobat's input more if he hadn't both known Tim longer than he did and managed to be a good older brother for even him, and thus must know a trick or two.

… Of course, there was the fact that he had no idea where Tim's room was.

Looking back at Dick and Barbara outside, he knew there was no point in asking them; they were clearly far too busy flirting with each other.

"Maybe... it's near my old room?" he mused to himself before jogging in the direction that he supposed Tim's room may be near.

However, he did not even reach the staircase before a loud clattering filled the silents entryway, causing Jason to swiftly turn to the noise. When he saw a shocked Alfred standing in the doorway to the kitchen, he nearly ran to help him.

"Oh man, Alfie, what happened?" he asked, confused as to how the practically perfect butler had dropped one of the trays that he had always been telling Jason to be careful around.

"I apologize, Master Jason. I was just a little surprised to see you. Even already knowing you had returned, even that you were coming this morning, seeing you, after... everything..."

Jason froze at the words, his hand holding the tray in midair. After swallowing heavily, he gently placed the silver down, and wrapped his arms around Alfred.

"I missed you too, Alfie."

Jason heard the butler give out a quiet surprised cry, but felt him return the hug soon after.

~~~~~~~!~~~~~~~~~~

Dick smiled as he watched Jason slip through the doors of the manor. Deciding to give him a minute before actually telling him where Tim's room was, he stuck his hands in his pockets and very slowly started walking towards the door himself. He had almost forgotten that Barbara was with him until she suddenly spoke.

"He's acting a lot like his old self," she whispered.

"Unless something provokes him, he usually is," Dick responded, his face blank.

"Provoked?"

"He's... a lot angrier than he used to be. I only ever see it while we're on patrol, and some crook fires a shot too close for comfort, or anything like that. I honestly don't want to think about what happens when he's out without me..."

Barbara looked to the doorway worriedly.

"Have you talked to Bruce about it?"

Dick snorted slightly.

"The problem is much worse around Bruce. So, no, but I'm sure he's probably noticed it."

Barbara gently put a hand on Dick's shoulder.

"I would agree with you, but, seeing as Bruce can be a complete idiot when it comes to emotional things sometimes, he may not have. I think I'm going to go talk to him."

"Kay, I'm going to go help Jay find Tim's room, since he doesn't exactly know where it is..." His voice trailed off before he opened the door to the manor, slipping inside. Barbara waited a moment, than entered in after him. Seeing Dick near the staircase with Jason and Alfred, she headed directly for Bruce's office, where she knew the man would be.

"While I'm there, I may as well mention a little issue with his older son as well," she muttered to herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~!~~~~~~~~~~

Damian looked around him, still drowsy and extremely confused, as he was pulled through the empty halls of the place he had always seen as home. He didn't know the men around him; his mother had different guards than these strangers. He had no idea what was going on. He had no idea what his mother had been babbling about.

He didn't like not knowing what was happening.

Scowling, the young boy opened his mouth to question the guards, but closed it when they reached the outdoors. A helicopter waited for them, the blades slicing through the air loudly. Gulping nervously, Damian starred at the foreign machine.

Suddenly, the cloaks of his grandfather rushed past him and towards the helicopter.

"Bring the boy," he ordered impatiently, already almost in the vehicle.

Within moments he was pushed next to his grandfather, the guards following him inside, and the helicopter was taking off.

After a few moments of silence, Damian plucked up the courage to speak quietly.

"Grandfather, where are we going?"

The man glanced down as he spoke, light surprise evident on his face for a moment. That moment was gone in a flash, and he answered swiftly.

"Damian, I do believe that it is time for you to meet the Light."

The silence rang out once again, and Damian was even more confused than before.


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey look... The actual plot!**

**I do not own Young Justice.**

Damian was not often scared. He had trained in his eight years of life to be able to handle any situation, any danger, any disaster waiting to happen, all without even a glimmer of fear, without such weakness.

Yet, now he felt the sting of terror ebb on his being.

He had been taken first from his mother, than from the only home he had ever known, by his very distant grandfather, only to be told that he had to meet some of the greatest criminals in the world.

Damian was rather certain that it was appropriate to be at least a little afraid in such a situation.

As he and his grandfather were about to enter the meeting room, Ra's looked down at the child and, undoubtedly noticing him nearly shaking, softly spoke to him.

"Do not fear, child. With your heritage, you are equals with all in this room. Further more, this is a very focused meeting with only a few members of the Light, and a... consultant who we are currently doing business with."

Now intrigued, Damian tilted his head to the right in thought.

"Consultant? Who? And what for?"

Damian did not see the long sigh that Ra's exhaled after his question as a good sign.

"He is, unfortunately, the one person who fear would be a logical response upon meeting. I would not be working with the maniac if it was not completely necessary."

Seeing wide blue eyes staring back at him, Ra's felt a tinge of guilt in his words. Placing a hand on the boy's shoulders, he spoke again.

"There is nothing he can do to you."

As the door was opened and Ra's swept in, Damian swiftly following him, he was surprised to see just how few people were there. Only three people sat at the table, already seeming to be deep in discussion. Their harsh voices were interrupted when Ra's swooped into one of the two empty seats at the table, signaling with his hand for Damian to sit in the final seat. As he clamored onto the chair, his grandfather started speaking.

"It appears that there is a disagreement on this matter?" Ra's nearly sighed out in slight frustration.

"It is nothing, Ra's," one of the men said, glaring lightly at a man in a purple suit as he spoke. "Is this your grandson that you spoke off?"

"Why, yes. Gentlemen, this is my grandson, Damian. Damian, these are my associates, Vandal Savage and Lex Luthor, and this our current business partner, the Joker."

As each man was introduced to Damian, they nodded formally, except for the Joker, who just smirked at the boy. As Ra's finished speaking, the clown leaned over the table until his face was inches away from Damian.

"Awww, Ra'ssy, you never mentioned that your 'perfect heir' was so cute and wittle!"

Damian scowled at the words.

"I am not 'cute', and my height is perfectly average for my age," he growled in response.

"Has a temper, too!" Joker laughed.

"Joker, please do not agitate my grandson," Ra's said flatly.

"Fine, grumpy pants," Joker grumbled as he leaned back in his chair, sounding a bit hurt.

"So, what is the progress on Project JT?" Vandal Savage asked as he folded his hands in front of him.

Damian scrunched his nose in thought as the meeting started, already curious as to what they were talking about.

"The original plan was ruined by Ra's' daughter, but we have come to an... agreement with the Joker for him to assist us in an alternative plan," Lex stated in annoyance.

Damian's eyes widened at the mention of his mother, realization overtaking him. They must be discussing what his mother had done wrong that had caused him being taken away from her! Now focusing even further, he hoped they would say what had actually happened, so he could find a way to convince his grandfather that she had not been too disobedient, and that he should be sent back home where there were no mysteries about unknown fathers or strange men in purple suits.

"What does this alternative include?" Vandal Savage asked stiffly.

"Recapturing the target, along with Robin, and killing Nightwing," Ra's answered with clenched teeth. Damian tilted his head in thought as he wondered who this target was, and who 'Robin' and 'Nightwing' were.

"If it must be done. It truly is a shame, Nightwing is a very talented boy," Vandal sighed, only to be interrupted by a snort from the Joker.

"Yeah, talented at being annoying."

Ignoring the clown, Vandal glanced over at Damian.

"Your grandson's father will not be pleased about this. I suppose that is the point, but-"

"My father?" Damian nearly yelled out in shock as Ra's stood abruptly and slammed his hands on the table.

"He does not know who his father is," he hissed angrily, his eyes narrowed. As Lex started smirking, and Vandal raised an eyebrow, Joker seemed to realize something, than began starring at Damian.

"Do you mean to tell me this little runt is the son of-" Damian did not get to hear the rest of the question, as his hand quickly grabbed by his grandfather, and he was roughly pulled from the room.

As Ra's fumed, tugging him back to the helicopter, Damian allowed himself to be frustrated as even more mysteries were opened up.

When had his life became so very complicated?

~~~~...~~~~~

"Tim's room is down the same hallway as our rooms are," Dick said offhandedly as he and Jason turned a corner in the manor. "He's probably still going to be in there-" He stopped speaking when one of the doors creaked open, Tim slipping out.

"Well, look at the time!" Dick said dramatically as he stepped away, winking at Jason. The teen glared after his brother for a moment, before turning back to the younger boy.

"Hey, Tim, how's it going?" he asked with an awkward smile. This smile shrunk slowly as Tim shuffled over to him, starring nervously at the ground.

"Here's your tee shirt," he nearly whispered as he held it up. Jason looked from the shirt to Tim, then shrugged.

"You know, the thing doesn't even really fit me anymore. You can keep it."

Jason was expecting the utter shock in Tim's eyes as he slowly lowered the hand holding the shirt.

"Are... are you sure?"

"... Yeah, I think so."

Jason's smile grew again as a rather bright grin graced Tim's face.

"Thanks, Jason!"

"It's no big deal, kid," he answered, though he could tell that it was a very big deal to Tim. He didn't see that as a good sign, but decided to look into that at a later date.

Wrapping one arm around Tim's shoulders and squeezing lightly, he saw Dick from afar nearly squealing in joy. As Tim leaned into his side hug, he just continued glaring at Dick.


	7. Chapter 6

**I do not own Young Justice or any related characters.**

Barbara slowly walked to the door of Bruce's study, pausing as she stood in front of it. Bitting her lip nervously, she hesitantly rose her hand and knocked on the heavy wood. As she heard footsteps on the other side, she closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, before standing determined as the door was opened.

"Hello, Barbara. Is there any reason you're here? I thought you were with Dick," Bruce asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I was, but Jason and Tim came and I left the boys alone so I could talk to you about something,"

"Wait, Jason's here?" Bruce asked, his eyes widening.

"You can talk to him later, Bruce, I need to speak with you now. May I come in?"

Bruce appeared tense for another moment, before eventually giving in and taking a step to the side.

"Of course, Barbara. What do you need to talk about?"

Walking into the study, she started to answer as Bruce closed the door.

"Bruce, I'm worried about Dick."

She could tell he was surprised by this statement, so she continued on instantly.

` "He somehow developed this dangerous attitude that nearly everyone is more important than he is. On missions he's been thoughtlessly throwing himself into danger, and in a conversation earlier he said that he saw everyone as more important than himself," she paused to take a deep breath. "In all honestly... He's scaring me, Bruce."

The man paused, concern slowly filling his features.

"Do you know where he is right now?"

"Last I saw, he and Jason were going to find Tim in his room."

"I'll... I'll try having a talk with him. That is a bit unsettling."

As he spoke, Bruce opened the door to the study, and started walking out, Barbara following him down the hallway. They soon reached the main hall, they froze, seeing Jason and Tim enter from a separate hallway.

Tim glanced worriedly to Jason as they saw Bruce and Barbara, biting his lip as he saw his older brother's body tense instantly. Jason slowly lowered his arm that had been wrapped around Tim's shoulder, his fists soon clenched by his side.

"Hello Bruce," Jason called out stiffly.

"Hello, Jason. … How have you been?" Bruce responded, walking to his two sons.

"Just peachy," Jason replied through gritted teeth, pushing Tim behind him. "I supposed Timmy here couldn't really say the same, from what I've heard."

"Jason, you don't have to-" Tim started to protest from behind the older teen, but was soon interrupted by Bruce.

"I may have been a bit harsh last night, but Tim had compromised the group and-"

"There is no 'and', Bruce. You didn't see him last night. He cares what you think of him, a lot, and last night by ripping him a new one you practically broke him!"

"What are you trying to say by this, Jason?" Bruce asked angrily.

"I'm trying to say-"

"Hey everybody!" Dick suddenly burst in, placing his arms around Jason and Tim's shoulders. "You know, Alfred baked some cookies, how about we head to the kitchen-"

"I cannot stay in the same building as him," Jason snarled out, pushing away Dick's arm and storming out of the manor. As the sound of the door slamming shut echoed through the main hall, followed by the roar of Jason's motorcycle, Dick threw his hands in the air in frustration.

"Really, Bruce?" he growled out. "We finally get Jason to the manor, and you're just a huge jerk to him! I should of expected it!" Giving out a huff of annoyance, he grabbed Tim's wrist, dragging him to the kitchen.

"Come on, Timmy. We're getting those cookies, at least."

As they left the room, Barbara turned to Bruce, exasperated, and soon followed them, leaving Bruce alone in the main hall, nothing but silence ringing out.

~~~~~~~!~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hood! Stop avoiding us!" Nightwing called out to the building next to where he and Robin were standing. They had run into the Red Hood five times already that evening, yet each time he had ducked down another alley, ran in the other direction. "Bats isn't here, he's talking with Commissioner Gordon about the latest Arkham breakout with Batgirl!"

There was a moment of no movement, which ended when the teenager jumped down to the rooftop with his brothers.

"Good. I don't want to talk with that asshole right now," Even with the helmet covering his face, Nightwing could tell Jason was scowling.

"... In all honesty, that is the only reason we're not with him right now. That, and I wanted to talk with you."

The anti-hero crossed his arms before speaking.

"What exactly do you want to talk about, Wingnut?"

Dick took a deep breath before he responded.

"I... I have to admit that I'm pretty pissed with Bats right now also. I know fully well he can be a complete asshole. Sometimes it may seem like that is all he can be. But- he does care, Jay. He's always cared. It's why he will overreact if any of us get hurt even a little- He's worried. He's scared. And he does care. He really does. You didn't see him after you... well, you know..."

"I get what you are saying, Nightwing," he interrupted quickly. "And I do want to believe you. But... Well, it is hard to be sure..."

"You'll figure it out eventually, bro," Nightwing said encouragingly, placing a hand on Jason's shoulder.

Just as he was about to answer, a crash sounded out in the alley below.

"What was that?!" Robin exclaimed in surprise, nearly jumping in his spot behind Nightwing.

"I don't know," Nightwing responded in a slow voice, glancing down into the darkness. "I'm going to go check it out. Can you two be alone for a sec?"

"We are going with you," Jason nearly growled out.

"No, I can do this alone. It was probably nothing, and I can call for you if I need back-up. Be back in a sec!" With a grin, he pulled out a grappling hook and was soon speeding towards the ground. Jason glared after him for a moment, then turned away with a huff. He then turned to Robin, who was looking worriedly over the ledge.

"He's probably right, kid. He'll be back in just a second."

"Yeah..." Tim replied absentmindedly.

Jason sighed to himself, before Walking over to the younger boy.

"You know, how are you doing after this morning? It seemed a little emotionally draining for you also."

Robin shrugged before answering.

"I guess I just realize that... well, Nightwing's little speech is right, and that he's just not that good at showing it."

"Well, it was such a _touching_ little dialogue," a voice rang out on the rooftop, chilling in tone. Immediately recognizing it, both Robins were suddenly on guard, guns and a bo staff pulled out.

"Where are you hiding, you damn clown?" Jason barked out, his hands nearly shaking.

"Why, I'm right here, little birdie!" the Joker sounded out from directly behind him. It was too late to turn around before there was a hard impact against his helmet. He crashed to the paneling on the roof, his head vibrating. He could hear the thump of Robin falling directly next to him before darkness overcame his vision.

~~~~~~~~~~!~~~~~~~

"Hello?" Nightwing called out as he gently landed on the asphalt, pulling in the wire from his grappling hook. "Is anyone down here? I heard a crash."

He furrowed his eyebrows when all he heard was a high pitched giggling that sounded eerily familiar, but he could not pinpoint from where.

"Are you alright ma'am?" he asked hesitantly.

The only reply was more giggling, now from farther away. Huffing in annoyance he ran a little ways to get closer to the sound.

"Miss? Are you okay?" Once again, the only reply was that damn giggling, now from even farther. Now getting rather annoyed, and a bit nervous, he swiftly ran a bit closer to the sound.

"Miss, if you don't need any help, I really need to get going-"

"I'm not the one who needs any help, Bird Boy," the voice cackled out. Nightwing's masked eyes widened before looking back to where he had left Red Hood and Robin. Leaving the villianess behind, he shot his grappling hook back into the air. When he reached the top of the building, his heart nearly stopped to find the rooftop completely empty. Falling to his knees, he could barely contain tears edging on his eyes.

"Damn it, damn it, not... not again..."

**... Okay, that was Harley Quinn distracting Dick at the end, in case that wasn't obvious. She... probably won't show up again much. She just was sort of needed for this part.**


	8. Chapter 7

**Augh this chapter sucks and barely anything happened... **

**I don't own Young Justice.**

A low growl was released from Jason's mouth as he slowly regained consciousness, the sound echoing in his helmet. As he tried to get up, he soon realized that his arms and legs were tightly bound with thick ropes. Forcing his eyes open, he was extremely annoyed to see that the lenses on his helmet were cracked, making it appear that there were were three Robins laying near him, two of which were floating.

He nearly did a double-take when he fully realized that Tim was in fact right next to him. Considering the position that he was currently in, this was anything but a good thing. He almost wished he could move his arms just to hit himself on the head for being a horrible protective older brother.

He could hear Tim groan as he attempted to remember what had happened. Jason growled again when nothing came to mind.

"Red... Wha happened?" he could hear the young teenager slur out the question. As he was about to respond, however, a chilling laugh interrupted him.

"Don't you remember, little birdie? Your dear Uncle Joker picked you up!"

Jason breath shallowed as he remembered the events that led up to their current predicament, and sudden worry for Dick kicked in.

"Where's Nightwing, clown?" he nearly hissed out, trying to loosen the ropes bounding him.

"The brat's fine for now, kid," the Joker honestly sounded rather annoyed when he answered. "Nothing's happening to him until I get you two delivered..."

Well, Jason certainly did not like that wording.

"But, for now..." a wicked grin unfurled on his face and his voice raised a few octaves in glee. "I think I can afford a little bit of playtime!"

After considering both for a moment, the Joker's eyes settled on Robin, who completely froze under the gaze. Grabbing the boy's cape, he pulled Tim away from Jason, who was now struggling even more, swearing rather loudly as he tried to get loose.

"We had sooo much fun last time, didn't we Baby Birdy?"

When there was no answer, the Joker continued on, nearly ranting to himself.

"Of course, Mr. Teen Angst here just had to interrupt it with Batsy and the oldest brat in tow, didn't he?" he paused, chuckling slowly. "Well, your beloved big brother won't be a problem for much longer..."

"You said he was fine, you sick clown!" Jason yelled angrily from where he was still laying.

"I said for now, you worthless brat. What are you, deaf?" The Joker snapped suddenly, his voice brimming with anger and hatred. Jason could just barely see Tim's terror-filled face from where he sat. Unfortunately, it seemed that The Joker also saw it.

"What, scared little birdie?" he asked, pulling Tim's cape up high to the point where his feet were nearly off the ground, his breath now catching in his throat as the fabric dug into his neck and cut off the airflow. "Huh, do I scare you? I find that a bit of an accomplishment, you know."

Hearing Tim struggle just for air made Jason snap.

"Put him the hell down now," he screamed angrily.

"Don't worry, kid," The Joker responded, his gloved hand releasing the bunched up cape in its grasp, leaving Robin to collapse on the ground, gasping for breath. "I won't get paid if I rough either of you up too much."

"... Paid?"

"I hope you like ol' Ra'ssy, because I think you're going to be seeing a lot of him from now on."

Jason froze, letting the words sink in.

"Ra's... no. No no no no..." he was nearly shaking as his voice gained volume. "There is no way I am going back there, you demented clown."

"I'm afraid that isn't an option, my boy," Ra's responded as he swept into the warehouse.

As the man entered, Jason bared his teeth, growling in hatred. Tim, however, was a bit more interested in what he saw behind the villain.

More specifically, the small boy he saw peaking from behind Ra's al Ghul.

Tim may have not met the villain before, but he was still pretty certain that was not a normal occurrence.

While Jason, who was starting to truly concern Tim with his near frantic behavior, did not seem to notice the child, he was both surprised and a bit worried that it seemed the Joker noticed the boy.

"Ra'ssy, you brought the runt with you to our little transaction, I see!" The Joker called out, a large grin suddenly on his face.

"That is of no importance, Joker," Ra's responded curtly, barely glancing down at Tim and Jason before walking forward. "Though, I would not call this a transaction. That implies that we trading, but I am merely picking up the first part of our deal. You are not paid until you have finished your part of the bargain."

Tim did not like the way the Joker's face slowly darkened. He especially did not like when his cape was grabbed again, and he was pulled back into the air with a quiet yelp.

"It'll be a little while before the other brat is dead, so you should probably think about part of the payment if you want these two unmaimed," he growled out, gaining both Tim and Jason's attention with the words 'other brat is dead'.

That did not bode well at all.

"Joker, we made a deal, and you will not see _any _of that money if either of these boys are harmed," Ra's responded in a frustrated tone. "So, if you would, please put down Robin."

Still scowling, Joker let go of Tim's cape once again, and took a few steps towards the other villain.

"Fine, then. Take these two, and I'll make sure Nightwing is dead within a day. If I don't get my pay then, little birdies aren't going to be the only kiddies getting hurt, if you catch my drift." As he finished speaking, he smiled cruelly down at the child standing behind Ra's, who hid further behind the man.

Both Tim and Jason's eyes widened as they heard what the other part of the 'deal' was. As Ra's's men came in and started carrying them out, Jason was once again struggling heavily, swearing in extreme anger, but Tim was just still, in thought.

How was there going to be a way out of this?


End file.
